Crashes kill 33 people in China

Two road accidents killed 33 people and injured eight others in two Chinese provinces over the weekend.

A bus plunged into a ravine in Nayong county in the south-western province of Guizhou, killing 21 people and injuring three others, the state broadcaster China Central Television reported.

A preliminary investigation suggested the driver drove on a mountain road intended only for smaller vehicles. The bus plummeted nearly 100 yards into a dry riverbed, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

In Kangle country in the north-western province of Gansu, a farm vehicle crashed while making a turn on a mountain road, killing 12 people and injuring five, local officials said.

Both crashes happened yesterday and remained under investigation.

Road accidents are frequent in populous China, especially in rural areas where overloading is common and traffic rules are routinely ignored. The country’s treacherous mountain roads also are a challenge to motorists.